8-Bit People: An 8-Bit Mixtape

From a childhood favorite to influencing the music I listen to today, the 8-bit processor has been with me in one form or another since my 1st Grade Social Studies class. The Famicom, Atari, Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega, and groups like Crystal Castles all share something in common, that little processor that has powered favorite games like Super Mario Brothers, Tecmo Super Bowl, Contra, and ExciteBike (click those links to play). Over the years, advances in computer chip techonlogy have rendered the processor pretty much obsolete (I think). However, there are bands spanning the globe today that are keeping the 8-bit alive and well, looking back to the the processor’s heyday for inspiration and this mixtape highlights a few of them. For more “8-bit” bands, check out 8-bit Peoples, the label from where I ganked the title of this post.

[MP3]: Adventure  ”Battle Cat”
Adventure, Carpark; 2008
[MP3]: Ratatat  ”Shiller”
LP3, Beggars; 2008
[MP3]: The Depreciation Guild  ”Nautilus”
In Her Gentle Jaws, Self-Released; 2008
[MP3]: Tree Wave  ”Sleep”
Cabana EP, Made Up Records; 2004
[MP3]: Dan Deacon  ”Snake Mistakes”
Spiderman of the Rings, Carpark; 2007
[MP3]: Animal Style  ”Arps and Arcs”
Open Air, 8bitpeoples; 2008
[MP3]: Anamanaguchi  ”Power Supply”
Power Supply, 8bitpeoples; 2006
[MP3]: Crystal Castles  ”Courtship Dating”
Crystal Castles, Last Gang; 2008
[MP3]: Heartsrevolution  ”C.Y.O.A.”
12″ Single, I Heart Comix; 2008